History Crash Course #49: The Jews of Poland

King Boleslav of Poland invited the Jews, granting them unprecedented rights and privileges.

The period of history we are looking at is known as the Renaissance which historians generally date from about 1350 to about 1650. Renaissance means "rebirth." Rebirth of what? Of knowledge.

We have now left the Dark Ages dominated by the repressive policies of the Church in Rome and are beginning a time period associated with individual expression, self-consciousness, and worldly experience, and accomplishments in scholarship, literature, science, and the arts.

In the Renaissance, we see some powerful kings emerging in England and in France, while the power of the Church begins to wane. The famous personalities of this period of time are Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Machiavelli, Petrarch, Rabelais, Descartes, Copernicus, just to name a few.

This is also a time when Jews made their way into Poland. Today we tend to think of Jewish life in Poland as being confined to the shtetl, but that did not happen until the 18th century. We also tend to think of Poland as synonymous with anti-Semitism, pogroms, etc. But during the time of the Renaissance the picture was quite different.

Before we begin the fascinating story of the Jews of Poland, we have to keep in mind the historical pattern that we see constantly in Jewish history. The places where the Jews will do the best are almost always the places where the Jews will suffer the worst in the end. You'd expect there'd be places that would be good for the Jews and other places where Jews would have a rough time. But that's not what happens.

The best of times and the worst of times tend to happen in the same place. We just saw it in Spain, we're going to see it now in Poland, we'll see it later in Germany. It's one of the great patterns in Jewish history ever since the Jews were invited into Egypt and then enslaved there.

So how did the Jews come to Poland?

A POLISH INVITATION

Poland became Christian very late, only at the turn of the 11th century, and only then did it join the European community of nations (so to speak). After that, it took a couple of hundred years before Poland started to emerge as a nation-state with strong development potential.

If you want to develop your country economically and culturally, who do you need?

You need Jews.

Why were the Jews so necessary? First, they could read and write. Jews were always highly educated as they had to be literate to read and obey the Torah, and general education came along as part of the parcel. Second, Jews were excellent bankers, accountants, and administrators who knew how to keep the economy healthy.

So in 1264, King Boleslav of Poland granted a charter inviting the Jews there. The charter was an amazing document, granting Jews unprecedented rights and privileges. For example, it stated that:

"The testimony of the Christian alone may not be admitted in a matter which concerns the money or property of a Jew. In every such incidence there must be the testimony of both a Christian and a Jew. If a Christian injures a Jew in any which way, the accused shall pay a fine to the royal treasury."

"If a Christian desecrates or defiles a Jewish cemetery in any which way, it is our wish that he be punished severely as demanded by law."

"If a Christian should attack a Jew, the Christian shall be punished as required by the laws of this land. We absolutely forbid anyone to accuse the Jews in our domain of using the blood of human beings."

"We affirm that if any Jew cry out in the night as a result of violence done to him, and if his Christian neighbors fail to respond to his cries and do not bring the necessary help, they shall be fined."

"We also affirm that Jews are free to buy and sell all manner of things just as Christians, and if anyone hampers them, he shall pay a fine."(1)

This was an amazing document. We saw previously that Jews (see Part 46) would be brought in as money-lenders (being excluded from other professions), then when a bishop or nobleman wanted his debt annulled, he brought a "blood libel" against the Jews and had them expelled or killed. King Boleslav boldly promised the Jews that this would not happen in Poland.

Jews did not immediately flock into Poland, though some did settle there to test the waters. But when other countries started expelling Jews -- England being the first in 13th century, Germany in the 14th and Italy and Portugal being the more recent in the 15th century (as we saw in Parts 46 and 48) -- Poland became an attractive destination point.

Then in 1569, Poland unified with Lithuania, and as a result expanded its borders to the east. What we know as the Ukraine today and some of Belorussia became vassal lands of Poland which was still a semi-feudal country. These lands needed to be managed and job openings in administration (at which Jews excelled) sprung up everywhere. Quite often Jews would lease tracts of land from the Polish nobility thus making them the middle men in the feudal economic structure of Eastern Europe.

Another Polish king, Sigismund II Augustus, issued another invitation. Here is an excerpt from his edict, granting the Jews permission to open a yeshiva at Lublin, dated August 23, 1567:

"As a result of the efforts of our advisors and in keeping with the request of the Jews of Lublin we do hereby grant permission to erect a yeshiva and to outfit said yeshiva with all that is required to advance learning. All the learned men and rabbis of Lublin shall come together for among their number they shall choose one to serve as the head of the yeshiva. Let their choice be a man who will magnify Torah and bring it glory."(2)

GOLDEN AGE OF POLISH JEWRY

In Poland, in the early 16th century, the Jews were allowed to have their own governing body called the Va'ad Arba Artzot-The Council of the Four Lands, which was composed of various rabbis from the four major Polish provinces (Great Poland, Little Poland, Volhynia and Polodia) who oversaw the affairs of the Jews in Eastern Europe. The Poles did not interfere with Jewish life and scholarship flourished.

Some important personalities of this period, which a student of Jewish history should remember, were:

Rabbi Moshe Isserles (1525-1572), from Krakow, also known as the Rema. After the Sephardi rabbi Joseph Karo wrote the Shulchan Aruch, the code of Jewish Law, Rabbi Isserles annotated it to fill in the rabbinic decisions from Eastern Europe. His commentary was, and continues to be, critically important in daily Jewish life.

Rabbi Ya'akov Pollack (1455-1530), from Krakow. He opened the first yeshivah in Poland and was later named the chief rabbi of Poland. He developed a method of learning Talmud called pilpul, meaning "fine distinctions." This was a type of dialectical reasoning that became very popular, whereby contradictory facts or ideas were systematically weighed with a view to the resolution of their real or apparent contradictions.

Rabbi Yehudah Loewe, (1526-1609), not from Poland but important to Eastern European Jewry. He was known as the Maharal of Prague and was one of the great mystical scholars of his time. His name has also been associated with the famous Golem of Prague legend (The Golem was a Frankenstein-like being created by the Maharal to protect the Jews of Prague) although the legend has been shown to be a later fabrication.

POPULATION BOOM

Along with the growth in Torah scholarship there was growth in population. In 1500 there were about 50,000 Jews living in Poland. By 1650 there were 500,000 Jews. This means that by the mid 17th at least 30% or more of the Jewish population of the world was living in Poland!

Where did these Jews settle within Poland?

Jews of the Diaspora were generally urban people as they were historically not allowed to own land in most of the places they lived. However, they also created their own farm communities called shtetls (Yiddish for "small town). Although we tend to think of the shtetl today as a poor farming village (like in Fiddler on the Roof), during the Golden Age of Polish Jewry, many of these communities were actually quite prosperous. And there were thousands of them.

The Jews in these independent communities spoke their own language called Yiddish. Original Yiddish was written in Hebrew letters and was a mixture of Hebrew, Slavic, and German. (Note that Yiddish underwent constant development and "modern" Yiddish is not like the "old" Yiddish which first appeared in the 13th century, nor "middle" Yiddish of this period of time.)

Overall, the Jews did well, but working alongside Polish and Ukrainian Christians (who thought Jews killed Jesus) had its downside.

There were several instances of Christian rioting against Jews. For example, in 1399 in Poznan, a rabbi and 13 elders were accused of stealing Church property and they were tortured and burnt at the stake. (The Poles must have forgot the king's edict.)

Another problem was that Jews worked as administrators and tax collectors for Polish feudal lords. This did not make them popular among the local folk, who needed little encouragement to unleash their anti-Semitic rage.

This was especially true in places like the Ukraine, where the Catholic Poles were viewed as an occupying power in an Eastern Orthodox land, and the Jews -- being representatives of the occupation forces -- were the easiest to resent.

And while the Polish nobility might have needed the Jews, the common Poles didn't. There were instances when the Polish soldiers would purposely leave town, abandoning the Jews to the mercy (or lack thereof) of the Ukrainians. This happened, for example, in 1648 in the city of Tulchin. The Polish soldiers made a deal with the Cossacks and left town. The Jews defended the city by themselves until it fell and they were all slaughtered.

POGROMS

When the Ukrainians decided to throw the Poles out of their land, a full-scale massacres of Jews began.

The year 1635 saw the first big explosion of violence in Ukraine against Poles and Jews. But this attempt at the revolution was crushed. It returned with new vigor thirteen years later.

This second rebellion, in 1648, which succeeded in freeing a large part of the Ukraine from Polish rule, was led by a Ukrainian Cossack named Bogdan Chmielnicki. In large measure it was directed at the Jews.

Chmielnicki was one of the biggest anti-Semites in human history, on par with Hitler. His aim was genocide and his forces murdered an estimated 100,000 Jews in the most horrendous ways:

Here is one description (from Yeven Mezulah, pp. 31-32):

"Some of them [the Jews] had their skins flayed off them and their flesh was flung to the dogs. The hands and feet of others were cut off and they [their bodies] were flung onto the roadway where carts ran over them and they were trodden underfoot by horse ... And many were buried alive. Children were slaughtered at their mother's bosoms and many children were torn apart like fish. They ripped up the bellies of pregnant women, took out the unborn children, and flung them in their faces. They tore open the bellies of some of them and placed a living cat within the belly and they left them alive thus, first cutting off their hands so that they should not be able to take the living cat out of the belly ... and there was never an unnatural death in the world that they did not inflict upon them."

Here is another account from a Luthuanian Rabbi Shabbetai ben Meir HaCohen (1621-1662) also known as the Shach, who survived this time:

"On the same day 1,500 people were killed in the city of Human in Russia on the Sabbath. The nobles [Cossacks] with whom the wicked mob had again made an alliance chased all the Jews from the city into the fields and vineyards where the villains surrounded them in a circle, stripped them to their skin and ordered them to lie on the ground. The villains spoke to the Jews with friendly and consoling words: 'Why do you want to be killed, strangled and slaughtered like an offering to your God Who poured out His anger upon you without mercy? Would it not be safer for you to worship our gods, our images and crosses and we would form one people which would unite together.' "But the holy and faithful people who so often allowed themselves to be murdered for the sake of the Lord, raised their voices together in almighty in Heaven and cried: 'Hear of Israel the Lord our God, the Holy One and the King of the Universe, we have been murdered for Thy sake so often already. O Lord God of Israel let us remain faithful to Thee.' Afterward they recited the confession of sins and said: 'We are guilty and thus recognize the Divine judgment.' Now the villains turned upon them and there was not one of them who did not fall victim."

It's no wonder when Jews hear the word Cossack they break out in a sweat. These people killed 100,000 Jews and destroyed 300 Jewish communities in the most brutal way one could imagine.

Yet to this day Chmielnicki is considered a nationalist hero in the Ukraine, where they regard him as a kind of "George Washington." In Kiev there is a big statue in the square erected in his honor.

So this is how, in 1648-1649, the Golden Age of Polish Jewry came crashing down.

These pogroms took place in Eastern Poland, and the Jews in other parts remained there. Poland continued for many years to be the center of the Ashkenazi Jewish world as we shall see in future installments.

However, before we cover that period of time, we will backtrack a bit to talk about the Protestant Reformation which also took place during the Renaissance.

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Rabbi Ken Spiro, originally from New Rochelle, NY, graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Russian Language and Literature and did graduate studies at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He has rabbinic ordination from Aish Jerusalem and a Masters Degree in History from Vermont College of Norwich University. Rabbi Spiro is also a licensed tour guide by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs such as BBC, National Geographic Channel and The History Channel. He lives near Jerusalem with his wife and five children, where he works as a senior lecturer for Aish Jerusalem.

In one volume, Crash Course in Jewish History explores the 4,000 years of Jewish existence while answering the great questions: Why have the Jewish people been so unique, so impactful, yet so hated and so relentlessly persecuted?

Crash Course in Jewish History is not only comprehensive and readable, it is also entertaining and enlightening. Novices and scholars alike will find Crash Course in Jewish History to be thought-provoking and insightful, as well as a valuable and relevant guide to understanding the challenges we all face in the 21st century.

Visitor Comments: 34

(33)
William,
February 12, 2013 1:00 AM

A Jew and his Christian friends.

I had grown up in Poland. I still have friends there, although I've left that country 50 years ago in pursuit of better life. And, luckily, before the 1968 Problems. A lot of my Jewish friends, boys and girls, people I grew up with, were FORCED to leave Poland at that time. We were lucky in that respect. Yes, we did have some hard times at the hands of Christian youths of our town, when we were growing up, but we knew we had to perservere, for we were, and we felt, different. We also had help from other Christian youths. Example: two of my friends "took care" of a school-mate who enjoyed tounting me for being Jewish. He missed two days of school as a result, and didn't speak to me for the rest of the school year, after which his family moved to another town. I knew nothing of this incident untill many years later, when one of those friends confessed and asked for my apology(?!). I granted this to him; unfortunately, my friend passed away shortly after. At least his concience was clear at the end. May he R.I.P. After all this, I still love the country, her people and her history, and the history of OUR people there. No, I have never been back, but not for the lack of will. I always had great interest of the history of Jewish people in Poland. Thank you, Rabbi Spiro, for the fantastic lectures.

(32)
j,
July 26, 2012 11:22 AM

I have met quite a few people who have stories regarding mistreatment during the pre-WWI and post WWII eras and wanted to share something I found interesting. Both of those periods were characterized by occupation, and I was told by a few people that dividing the Polish Jewish and Christian communities was utilized as part of a larger divide and conquer strategy. The Polish Intelligentsia and Jewry were deeply intertwined and both were decimated during the Holocaust. Those left were the people who lived in homogenous society and were easier to sway. Post-war the communist authorities utilized a useful scapegoat and blamed Jews for the suffering of the Poles while they cemented their grip on power. People were told that Home Army (Main Polish Resistance Group/Both Jews and Christians) members were being given up to the NKVD by Jewish members in order to sow mistrust and draw out peopl in hiding. Jews were told of butchery commited by Poles for the same reason. I wonder how things will change now since communism is over and Poland is independent once again. I hear that Warsaw has a popular Rabbi and there is a growing interest among the young in rediscovering the Jewish past. I hope for the best as there is a long history between the peoples.

(31)
maggie bugden,
May 1, 2012 7:05 PM

Read it.Moved Sadly.You are good & strong Jews! thank you!

(30)
Anonymous,
December 2, 2010 2:05 PM

Poland

Poland officially became Christian in 966 AD.

(29)
Jew-in-Asia,
September 6, 2010 8:57 AM

Praiseworthy

If only I had read such history in school.

(28)
Lisa,
July 15, 2010 1:02 AM

There were many Poles who hated Jews and turned them in during the Holocaust. My aunt was saved by a poor Polish family and the surrounding Poles knew that the family was harboring a Jewish child.

(27)
Sppoky,
June 18, 2010 7:33 PM

If i traveled around the world, met everyone and everyone wanted to kill me would it be my fault or theirs?

(26)
Chaim Meth,
August 28, 2009 6:58 PM

What about Babylon

"Before we begin the fascinating story of the Jews of Poland, we have to keep in mind the historical pattern that we see constantly in Jewish history. The places where the Jews will do the best are almost always the places where the Jews will suffer the worst in the end. You'd expect there'd be places that would be good for the Jews and other places where Jews would have a rough time. But that's not what happens."
What about Babylon? There did not seem to be difficult times resulting in the end of Jewish life there.

(25)
Sara,
April 8, 2009 9:08 PM

Why Jewish are so eager to blame Poles?

I find it very interesting that many Jewish people are blaming Poles for their misfortune. They speak of Poles as antisemitic people, however, many Jews hate Poles! Why is that? Why many Jews blame Poland for holocaust, even thought it was the Jewish council ( Judenrat) who collaborated with Germans, not Poles! Many Jews were sending other Jews to concentration camps- just to save their own skin- but many Poles were risking their own lives to save Jewish kids, women and men.
As one psychologist have said: those who are guilty will blame others for their guilt.
BTW. This is the first article I found, where is stated that Poland was friendly for Jews. Thank you.

(24)
Jacek from Poland,
February 10, 2008 2:58 PM

Delighted with this article

As I know, in the US there are some stereotypes about us Poles and about our presumed "inborn antisemitism". The truth is, that Poland during centuries had the most pro-Judaic, liberal law, and therefore about 10% of all Jews lived just in Poland. That's also the reason, why the Nazi Germany located in Poland the concetration camps. Poland was also the only ocuppied country that didn't establish a colaborating goverment.

I greet all reasonably thinking Jews and non-Jews.

(23)
Marvin,
December 11, 2007 9:01 PM

Galicia

My mother and father came from Galicia( the southern part of Poland under Austrian contol). They didn't have a particularly bad life They came to America for economic opportunity. In world War II, all of both sides of the family (except one) perished in the Holocaust.

Anonymous,
January 27, 2013 1:16 AM

galicia

My great grandfather, z'l, was killed in a pogrom in Galicia near the beginning of the 20th century, so my great grandmother, z'l, sent her two teenage boys to America. She was later killed by the Nazis.

(22)
YM,
November 15, 2007 7:04 PM

Golem

Though the story of the Golem as far as I know has not been proved. It has NOT been disprovred either (the author was mistaken)

(21)
Anonymous,
November 11, 2007 1:59 AM

Cossacks today

For many years the mascot at Sonoma State University was the Cossacks. Such an affront -- and in the heart of liberal Northern California! It took many years but finally Sonoma State dropped the name (they're now the Seahawks).

(20)
Grace Fishenfeld,
July 8, 2007 7:19 PM

The Bad and the Good

My grandparents came To NY from Poland in 1904. They had good reason to leave their loved ones behind. There was no love for the Jews in their small shtetel and young men were pressed into the army.They brought with them their stubborn Jewishness and their love of learning. In their home, there was Shabbos dinner, bible stories and discussion along with a pushka for charity giving and hospitality. During WW II my Polish grandparents along with my mom and dad welcomed service men who were far from home, into our home, for a meal. They were often Christian boys that my sister met at USO dances. My grandparents worked hard in America and pooled their earnings with other Polish immigrants from their home town. They formed a credit union, thereby enabling their son, (my uncle) to go tomedical school. Their way of life was a gift to us, broght over from their hard times.

(19)
David,
December 3, 2006 9:26 PM

Thank you for this article, and also for the reference and dialogue of the holy rabbi hashach

I am a descendant of the shach, rabbi shabbetai hacohen, son of rabbi meir katz. Recently i have been trying to uncover ancient works of the shach and other members of the family to show to my grandfather, who is a direct descendent of the shach ( the shach's son's son's son etc. ), and i thank you very much for the dialogue of the shach, as i have never seen this before. It is probably from his book written after the attacks. My grandfather is a holocaust survivor, and this small writing would be very important for him to see. I am wondering, Where did you get it from or what was your source for it? And do you have anything else on the shach or his family? Thank you very much, I really appreciate your work!

(18)
Anonymous,
October 12, 2006 9:28 AM

Regarding the persecution of the Jews:

Chapter 49 states: "The places where the Jews will do the best are almost always the places where the Jews will suffer the worst in the end." From what I have been seeing over the past several years of my life, the underlying concept in this passage applies to any situation where one party excels and another party is jealous. The jealous party is privy to people in power and does all that he or she can to manipulate circumstances so that those who are in power turn on the other indivdual, leading to that person's ignominious end. I think this will all eventually change when society as a whole begins to understand this.

(17)
Shelby,
January 13, 2006 12:00 AM

WOW

My GReat Grandfather is a polish jew and Suvived the holocaust this really touched me learnning about my past

(16)
Jarad Pillemer,
November 10, 2003 12:00 AM

Praise

Thank you for the fantastic series that you have made available, it has helped me greatly in my teaching of Jewish History

(15)
Menashe Kaltmann,
October 26, 2003 12:00 AM

Poland - The Past Influenced What Happened During The Holocaust

I have spoken at length with many Polish born Jews who survived the Second World War, The Holocuast. They now all live in Australia.
The one thing that they almost all say is that they encountered much anti semitism from normal Poles during the 20th century... It is as if centuries of resentment and anti semitism possibly beginning in the 1600's accumulated and grew larger and larger and allowed an atmosphere of anti semitism to fester. An atmosphere of hatred prevailed and was felt..... Restrictions against Jews and terrible accusations many dating back centuries prevailed.
Despite this they almost all say the quality of life especially religious life in Poland was a very rich one albeit with the many hardships they had to endure.

(14)
Jennifer,
June 30, 2003 12:00 AM

Thank you Rabbi Spiro

Thank you for this informative article on Pograms. I was always wanted to know more about the reason my great grandparents and others fled from Eastern Europe to America. What you wrote at the end caught my attention. Although many Poles and Christians were not against the Jews in their communities, thank you for sticking to your story and telling the truth about the roots of anti-semitism in Europe, and without apology, as it should be told. In the past year I have devoted a great deal of attention to the topic of "Christian Zionists" and find this to be quite an interesting topic and group of people. I find their obsession with Israel and Jews to be quite unsettling in light of the historical antecedents of Christiantity's views and treatment of Jews in European history. Perhaps what is even more unsettling is the inclination by Jews to embrace those who claim to be pro-Israel/pro-Jewish christian evangelicals. I would encourage other Jews to look deeply at the motivation of these groups, their interest in Israel, and even how this affects the "Religious Right"'s involvement in Middle East Policy in Foreign Affairs. For those who look deeply enough, they might be surprised to find how little things have changed for Jews in the world as far as attitudes of the outside community are concerned. I would encourage the Jewish community to question the support from groups so intent on furthering the cause of a religious group other than the one they belong to. In the meantime it is important that these stories continue to be told, and that more Jews are educated on the long and complicated history that makes us who we are as a people today.
(For the record, my father is a Polish catholic immigrant and WWII survivor who suffered along with the Jews under Hitler, and who came to America to marry my mother, who is of Russian Jewish descent. These little history lessons affect me more than one can imagine.)

(13)
Jackie Burns,
June 11, 2003 12:00 AM

The Truth

Hello,
I am very glad you have come out with this history lesson.I was raised a christian but am no longer.Although the truth was hard for me to take at first it turned into a big blessing.This history was never taught in public schools(and still isnt).It needs to be said and not smoothed over so that feelings dont get hurt.I loved this series and i am glad you are doing it.
That is my 2 cents
Jackie

(12)
Mirek,
June 11, 2003 12:00 AM

ironically

Ironically, the pattern "The best of times and the worst of times tend to happen in the same place" is applicable to such groups as Muslim and Christian. Compare wonderful Jewish life under Muslim rulers with today's worldwide Arab hate towards Israel and Jews. You will find no Muslim group like Christian "Friends of Israel", you will hear no prayer for Jewish People in mosque, while Christians (including Cotholics) pray for the peace for Jews in every church. Today Christian antisemitic propaganda almost disappeared, while islamic antisemitism speads even in so-called Christian countries. The note says about millions of Christians who are good friends of the Jewish people and true supporters of Israel. Could you mention a single Muslim supporter?

(11)
Steven,
June 11, 2003 12:00 AM

It is a very honest article

But we must not forget about poland between 1918 and till now.Being born in poland I know that it's a time that the polish can not be proud of. Look what was going on in 1919. Pilsudski was a very much anti semite. Communists were not any better than the nazis. I do like polish history because it is also full of good things done to us. Many polish poets wrote about Jews in a very positive way.

(10)
Anonymous,
June 9, 2003 12:00 AM

The more I read about the horrors of the Jews in the past, it just sickens me.

Why us, why was it always like that. Will the horrors be again? Other countries gave us freedom in the past, but for how long/God Bless America. May America reign forever. We're so lucky to live in the USA and be an American.. God watch over all of us. Amen

(9)
John Swiontek,
June 9, 2003 12:00 AM

We must all learn from history.

We must all learn from history so that we can all say in our hearts that this will never happen again.

(8)
EDGAR BALLESTEROS,
June 9, 2003 12:00 AM

THE JEWS OF POLAND/COMENTARIES BY SOME CHRISTIANS

I have felt shocked through the reading of each one of the chapters of this magnificent review of Jewish History. How can the human race ever forget what they have done to others? History has repeated many times against the Jews of the world. Some Europeans and Catholics, as a whole, should feel ashamed. Are these people trying to scrap history?
The so called christian evangelist who protest for these writings should consider that history happened that way and repentance prayer is more suitable than protesting for the christian deeds, or, worse, trying to get excused from guilt.
Israel shall live to the end of times and serve as a reminder to those who want to forget.

(7)
Joel,
June 2, 2003 12:00 AM

Will America follow history or can it be an exception

Dear Rabbi Spiro,
In Crash Course in Jewish History Part 49 - The Jews of Poland, you wrote
"Before we begin the fascinating story of the Jews of Poland, we have to keep in mind the historical pattern that we see constantly in Jewish history. The places where the Jews will do the best are almost always the places where the Jews will suffer the worst in the end. You'd expect there'd be places that would be good for the Jews and other places where Jews would have a rough time. But that's not what happens." Would you expect the same ending to take occur in the USA at some point in time?

(6)
Anonymous,
March 10, 2003 12:00 AM

THANKS!

I think it's a wonderfull web site!
It makes homeschooling fun. It gets straight to the point then gives you details.

(5)
Kyle Shanebeck,
October 31, 2002 12:00 AM

Thanks So Much!!

I really aprriciate this website. It helped me in a in class lessonm on the merchant of Venice. We had to study jews n renaissance times to understand the evil charactor Shylock. Thanks,
Kyle

(4)
Anniteh Shatz (Zahne),
November 16, 2001 12:00 AM

Family History

My ancestors were part of this evil horror. One of my great granfather's and his family were exiled from Alsace, France. In 1804, my ancestors and some of their friends migrated to Brody, then to Odessa, then to Crimea, Turkey. This particular grandfather was the only physician who took care of six shtetl's or villages. Other members of the family were bookeeper's. They did own land of which I still have the documents. They were again deported in the late 1800's. Some went to Israel, some came to America. The pain of our history is carried in our hearts from one geneation to the next. In my opinion we did not proclaim/ evangelize the Torah to all nations as we should have. Now that Islam has terrified the world, this is our opportunity!!!

(3)
Arnaldo Goltcher,
November 2, 2001 12:00 AM

Translation

Dear Rabbi Spiro:
I have been following your series since the very first part.
I don't have words to say how important it has been for jewish education. I atempt to every word and learning things I did'nt ever know.
I thing that is very important for all jews to know Jewish History. So maybe you can ask to aish Spanish speaking staff to translate your texts.
Sorry for my mistakes in English writing.
With admiration.
Arnaldo Goltcher
Sao Paulo - Brazil

(2)
Darcy Landau,
October 30, 2001 12:00 AM

Einbeck

My family came frome the Einbeck area
of Northern Germany. The family name
goes back to 748 to 1100. Their village
was burned down around 1448 and the survivors were forced to assimilate. Does anyone know of this historical event? Please respond. Thank you. This is contemorary of the Jews of Poland because some of these people could have come for there.

(1)
Dennis Richman,
October 29, 2001 12:00 AM

jews and America

You talk about jews doing well in a country then being kicked out. Do you think that will happen to the jewish people that live in America ?

I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...